How to create the perfect grazing platter for summer entertaining

Simple, delicious and something for everyone - summer entertaining has never been easier!

Dec 06, 2018 4:38pm

By Now To Love with Pams

The festive season is upon us and that can only mean one thing - lots of festive get-togethers and parties. In fact, you may have plans to do some entertaining of your own.

While the Kiwi barbecue remains as popular as ever, grazing or sharing platters are also proving to be a great option for summer entertaining. Often seen at weddings or large functions, the beauty of the platter is that it can be prepared in advance, there's something for everyone, and they're easy to put together - meaning that once your guests arrive you can pour yourself a glass of bubbles and relax with them.

Here are our top tips on how to create the perfect grazing or sharing platter:

Variety is the spice of life

Make sure your platters are generous and abundant, offering a variety of foods. Meats, cheeses, crackers, berries, fruits and veggies, olives, dips, nuts and seeds, pates and breads are all great options for a grazing platter. Pams have an exciting new range of fruit pastes that make a mouth-watering addition to any platter. Try Pams Finest Plum and Green Ginger Paste, Pams Finest Hawkes Bay Quince Paste or Pams Finest Fig, Manuka Honey and Walnut Paste.

Pile high

An appetising platter should not appear one-dimensional. Build platters up by using stands and add visual interest by using small dipping bowls for some items of food. Pile up foods that 'pile' well.

Pams Finest cheeses

Think in threes

A lovely symmetry is created when there is three of everything on a platter – three types of cheese and so on. Spread your threes, rather than grouping like with like, so that guests can reach from any part of the table.

Start by spacing three cheeses across the board - Pams Finest Rotoiti Blue, Pams Finest Double Cream Brie, Pams Finest Tahatai Smoked Cheddar cater to a mix of tastes - then build around them with your other items.

Go small in hot weather

There's nothing more unappetizing than wilting produce, curling meats and sweating cheeses. Smaller platters, that can be eaten quickly and then replaced with fresh ones, are best suited to summer entertaining.

Keep hot and cold separate

Hot food should not go on a platter with chilled food. Serve your hot spicy chicken wings and samosas separately with dipping sauce.

Cater for 'free from' guests

Spare a thought for guests who may be coeliac or allergic/intolerant to certain foods, and prepare free-from platters for them. If you're unsure about what they can or cannot eat, just ask. They will be touched by your thoughtfulness.